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THE AYIN INSTITUTE INC
BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 861454151 · Form 990 · FY2025 · NTEE A33 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · ayinpress.org
revenue
$1.3M
expenses
$1.3M
net assets
$145K
employees
3
program ratio
76%
mission · from form 990

THE AYIN INSTITUTE, INC. (THE ORGANIZATION") WAS FORMED ON JANUARY 7, 2021 FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING AN ARTIST-RUN PUBLISHING PLATFORM, PRODUCTION STUDIO, AND RESEARCH COLLECTIVE ROOTED IN JEWISH CULTURE AND EMANATING OUTWARD. THE ORGANIZATION WILL CREATE AND SUPPORT WORK AT THE INTERSECTION OF POLITICAL IMAGINATION, SPECULATIVE THEOLOGY, AND RADICAL AESTHETICS.BOTH ONLINE AND IN PRINT, THE ORGANIZATION WILL SEEK TO CELEBRATE ARTISTS AND THINKERS AT THE MARGINS AND EXPLORE THE GROWING EDGES OF COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH A DIVERSE RANGE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY, MULTIMEDIA, AND EXPERIMENTAL WORKS AND PROJECTS. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO POETRY, ESSAYS, FICTION, THEORY, ARTBOOKS, ANTHOLOGIES, ARCHIVES, INTERVIEWS, TRANSLATIONS, MULTI MEDIA, CONCEPTUAL PROJECTS, DIGITAL WORKS, IMMERSIVE EVENTS, AND ONLINE PROGRAMMING.THE AYIN INSTITUTE, INC. WAS FOUNDED ON A DEEP BELIEF IN THE POWER OF CULTURE AND CREATIVITY TO HEAL, TRANSFORM, AND UPLIFT THE WORLD WE SHARE AND BUILD T

profile · synthesized from sources

Ayin Press is an artist-run publishing platform and interdisciplinary creative studio rooted in Jewish culture. It produces print and digital works at the intersection of political imagination, speculative theology, and radical aesthetics, including books, art projects, and multimedia publications. The organization celebrates marginalized artists and thinkers through publishing, events, and fiscal sponsorship.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $556K
    PRINT PUBLISHING - THROUGH AYIN'S BOOK PUBLISHING PROGRAM, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PUBLISH AT THEINTERSECTION OF SPECULATIVE THEOLOGY, POLITICAL IMAGINATION, AND TRANSFORMATIONAL ART. IN2025, WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW AORA IMPRINT, WHICH PUBLISHES WORKS BEYOND BORDERS,DISCIPLINES, AND TRADITIONS. OUR PRINT PUBLICATIONS INCLUDED FOUR NEW BOOKS, ONE BOOKLET,AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF FIVE BOOKS AND CARD DECKS FOR ALIGNED PUBLISHING PARTNERS. OURPUBLISHED TITLES TITLES INCLUDE: SURVIVA: A FUTURE ANCESTRAL GUIDE BY CANNUPA HANSKALUGER; PROTOCOLS: AN ERASURE BY DANIELA MOLNAR; THE TORAH IN THE TAROT BY STAVAPPEL; GOLDEN THREADS BY ARIELLA ASHA AZOULAY; AND EXPANDING THE FIELD: A DIY ROSHHASHANAH COMPANION BY EDEN PEARLSTEIN, AYA BARON, SARAH CHANDLER, SCOTT OSMAN,AYSE BIRSEL, AND JESSICA TAMAR DEUTSCH. OUR DISTRIBUTED WORKS INCLUDE MEGILLAT ESTHER:THE GRAPHIC TALE BY JT WALDMAN; JEWISH MYSTIC CARDS BY JESSICA TAMAR DEUTSCH; THETHOUSANDS: A TITHE BY ANNE GERMANACOS; MERGEMERGE: A BOOK OF CARDS BY ANNEGERMANACOS; AND THE MERGIING OF TWO OCEANS: NINE TALKS ON SUFISM AND HASIDISM BYNETANEL MILES-YPEZ.
  2. #2 $230K
    FISCAL SPONSORSHIP - AYIN INSTITUTE IS COLLABORATING WITH A WIDE RANGE OF WRITERS AND ARTISTS TO PROVIDE FISCAL SPONSORSHIP FOR CREATIVE PROJECTS ALIGNED WITH AYIN'S OVERALL MISSION.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Digital Publishing
Produces online journals, folios, and digital zines such as "The Holy Fool" and "Chanukat Cholamot," exploring themes like contemporary Jewish poetry and dreamwork practices.
Fiscal Sponsorship
Provides fiscal sponsorship to writers and artists for creative projects aligned with Ayin's mission of cultural transformation and Jewish-rooted innovation.
Immersive Events
Hosts book launches, exhibitions, and festival appearances, including events at Printed Matter and the New York City Poetry Festival.
Print Publishing
Produces books, art books, and children's books through imprints like Aora Books and Somewhere, focusing on interdisciplinary works at the intersection of Jewish culture, political imagination, and radical aesthetics.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Jewish Textual and Educational Publishing 3 activities
    • Operating digital publishing platforms and journals
      Produces the Ayin Journal, publishes digital folios as themed online chapbooks, and hosts ongoing editorial columns (Speaking from Experience, Teiku, Moabet) that curate content on Jewish spirituality and Sephardic experiences. Launched the digital Hanukkah zine "Chanhkat Cholamot" and piloted a digital column model in 2022 to engage diverse voices in Jewish art and culture.
    • Publishing and distributing tarot decks and ritual resources
      Produces and distributes a tarot deck and accompanying booklet that interprets Torah through esoteric symbolism, including a full-color reproduction of the Jean Noblet Tarot with preserved Judaica elements. Also publishes immersive and participatory guides and digital resources for Rosh Hashanah observance and ritual innovation.
    • Publishing books and multimedia works across genres and formats
      Produces and distributes books, art books, poetry collections, fiction, nonfiction, children's literature, audio content, and multimedia works that explore Jewish spirituality, culture, and thought, with a focus on inclusive, post-secular, and cross-cultural perspectives. Published at least 13 books between 2024 and 2025, including award-winning and finalist titles, and increased its book list by 60% in 2024.
  • Accessible Reading Materials Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Ensuring accessibility of published materials
      Makes books available in accessible formats including Large Print, Braille, and Audio through a partnership with JBI Library, and provides complimentary desk copies to academics who adopt titles into course curricula.
  • Jewish and Cultural Heritage Archives 1 activity
    • Hosting creative research projects and thematic initiatives
      Develops and hosts long-term creative research projects that serve as containers for artistic and literary works organized around shared themes or media, such as the cultural legacy of Judeo-Arab women musicians and mystical connections between Sufism and Hasidism.
  • Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
    • Operating an online archive of creative and scholarly content
      Maintains and operates a digital archive featuring published books, essays, poetry, fiction, multimedia content, and other creative works produced or supported by the organization.
  • Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
    • Providing editorial and distribution services
      Offers professional editorial services to authors and organizations, and provides distribution support to independent publishers, authors, and organizations to expand the reach of their creative and literary works.
  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Providing fiscal sponsorship for artists and creative projects
      Offers fiscal sponsorship to writers, artists, small organizations, and initiatives whose work aligns with the organization’s mission of fostering cross-cultural conversations and spiritual innovation.
financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$1.30M
Contributions & grants$1.04M80%
Program service revenue$264K20%
Investment income$1K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.29M
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising13%
Salaries & benefits$227K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$183K
Cash$183K
Investments$0
Liabilities$38K
Net assets$145K
Liquid reserves1.7 mo
4 years on record · 2022–2025 · YoY revenue +73.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
EDEN PEARLSTEIN DIRECTOR 40 $117K
TOM HAVIV DIRECTOR 40 $116K
PENINA EILBERG-SCHWARTZ SECRETARY 40 $76K
board members · 7
  • ADAM SHER — VICE CHAIR
  • ARTHUR FRIED — CHAIR
  • JORDAN PEARLSTEIN — DIRECTOR
  • NATE LUBIN — DIRECTOR
  • SETH STOLBUN — TREASURER
  • STEPHEN BALLENTINE — DIRECTOR
  • TIRZAH FIRESTONE — DIRECTOR
relationships · 25

Who they work with

  • Aora Books Partner — Sibling imprint focused on transformational thought and culture beyond borders, disciplines, and traditions.
  • CANVAS Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Community of Literary Magazines and Presses Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Deuteronomy Press Partner — Distributed the book "Nothing Is For Everyone" for Deuteronomy Press.
  • Devin Naar Partner — Edits the "Moabet" column for Ayin Press.
  • Dr. Bronner’s Fund Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Elefanta Editorial Partner — Distributed the book "Don't Take Photos of the Landscape; Take Portraits with the View of the Background If You Want" for Elefanta Editorial.
  • Ethan and Gretchen Davidson Fund Funder — Leading supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Firehouse Fund Funder — Founding partner providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • JBI Library Partner — Partner organization making Ayin Press books available in accessible formats such as Large Print, Braille, and Audio.
  • Jewish Liberation Fund / Proteus Fund Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Joshua Joseph Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Kol Tzedek Partner — Distributed the siddur "P'tach Libi" for Kol Tzedek.
  • Lab/Shul Partner — Distributed the book "Shabook: God-Optional Guide to Friday Night Dinners Fit for a Sabbath Queen" for Lab/Shul.
  • Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah Funder — Leading supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Madison Margolin Partner — Curates the "Speaking from Experience" column for Ayin Press.
  • New York City Poetry Festival Partner — Participated in the festival on Governors Island.
  • Orphiflamme Foundation Funder — Founding partner providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Printed Matter Partner — Co-hosted a book launch event for SURVIVA.
  • Publishers Group West Partner — Distributes Ayin Press books; an Ingram brand through which titles are available to wholesalers, booksellers, and institutions.
  • Righteous Persons Foundation Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Rise Up / Nathan Cummings Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
  • Shaul Magid Partner — Edits the "Teiku" column for Ayin Press.
  • Somewhere Partner — Imprint focused on children’s literature and art.
  • The Stolbun Family Funder — Creator Circle supporter providing financial support to Ayin Press.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Culture as Healing and Collective Transformation
    methodology: culture-as-healing
    By supporting interdisciplinary, multimodal creative work that amplifies marginalized voices, the organization cultivates healing and collective uplift, because cultural expression is believed to be a transformative force for personal and societal change.
  • Inclusive Reinterpretation of Tradition
    methodology: inclusive_reinterpretation_of_tradition
    By reinterpreting Jewish sacred texts through gender-expansive theology and esoteric frameworks, the organization increases spiritual accessibility and fosters inclusive engagement, because traditional religious language and structures often exclude marginalized identities.
  • Polyvocal Publishing for Planetary Consciousness
    methodology: polyvocality and planetary consciousness
    By publishing diverse voices across cultures, times, and identities, the organization fosters cross-cultural dialogue and shared futures, because polyvocality is seen as essential to building planetary consciousness and collective political and spiritual imagination.